Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Gladiolus spicatus in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 37 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Thereianthus spicatus (L.) G. J. Lewis
original Latin diagnosis
Gladiolus foliis linearibus, caule simplicissimo, floribus spicatis.
English translation
Gladiolus with with leaf blades linear; with a stem very simple; [and] with flowers spicate.
| Gladiolus | Gladiolus |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| linear; | linearibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective linearis, -is, -e; modifies foliis |
| with a stem | caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| very simple; | simplicissimo - ablative singular masculine of superlative degree of group B adjective simplex, simplex, simplex; modifies caule |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with flowers | floribus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun flos, floris |
| spicate. | spicatis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective spicatus, -a, -um; modifies floribus |